Stories of New Jersey

A boy watching boats through a spyglass brings unwanted attention to his mother's house in Burlington during the American Revolution. Margaret Hill Morris records the incident in her journal while sheltering Jonathan Odell, a clergyman sought by the American authorities. Frank R. Stockton includes her account among the episodes that make up this collection of New Jersey history, bringing political divisions into the rooms and routines of a household.

The stories follow a chronological sequence, beginning with Lenape traditions and extending through settlement, changing customs and later achievements. Stockton explains in his preface that he has selected incidents from historical sources for their interest and instructive value. The contents include Swedish settlers, early wildlife, Molly Pitcher, Joseph Bonaparte at Bordentown, and the development of the telegraph and steamboat. For readers interested in the state's past, these individual accounts connect public events with local people and places.